Alternative Food Networks and Economic diversity in the Malmö Ethical Foodscape

Sammanfattning: Power and control over global food production and distribution is becoming increasingly concentrated in a small number of multinational corporations. Corporately produced food is not principally produced to be eaten, but to be sold in order to make financial gain as with any other commodity. This endless pursuit of profit is having devastating social and ecological consequences the world over. Groups of concerned citizens are attempting to develop new systems of food provisioning that re-embed food and agriculture in local ecologies and social institutions, in an attempt to regain some control of the food system. These alternative food networks (AFNs) can take many diverse forms depending on their individual contexts. The diverse economies framework, pioneered by J.K. Gibson-Graham, is a valuable tool for analysing the full breadth of economic relationships that make up our societies, outside of mainstream capitalistic social relations. Four examples of AFNs operating in Malmö are used to illustrate the diversity of this movement, they are: two community food growing schemes, a volunteer-run organic food store, and a conventionally run organic food store. Concepts from AFN studies and diverse economies are used to gain a detailed understanding of the socio-economic structure of these projects so as to assess their various strengths and weaknesses. While the material contribution of these projects to the food system might be relatively insignificant, their true power lies in their ability to bring people together.